The declaration or manifesto of George Racokzkie, Prince of Transylvania, to the states and peeres of Hvngarie together with the reasons added thereunto of his modern taking up to armes the 17 of February, Anno 1644 / George Racokzkie ...

The Declaration or Manifesto OF George Racokzkie, Prince of Transylvania, to the States and Peeres of Hungarie: George Racokzkie by the grace of God, Prince of Transylvania, Lord of a part of the Kingdome of Hungarie, and Count of ZEKELLA;

To the right Honourable and right Worshipfull; Our well-beloved LORDS and GENTRY, Greeting.

HOw precious, and of what high esteeme there be with every one the liberty of the soule and body, hereof we need not to seeke afar off many examples, nor to write thereof to your Lordships in many words. The modern state & con∣dition of the Occidentall Provinces, doth sufficiently testifie it; which, to reduce the aforesaid inestimable good to it's ancient State and condition, have counted for nothing all other Temporall and preci∣ous goods; yea with hazarding, and quite losing their own lives, doe not cease as yet to fight for it. How seriously also the Countreyes of Portugall and Catalonia, who sate under the Spanish power, and taken up A••mes not in defence of the liberty of their soules, but only in defence of their temporall liberty do labour and endeavour to settle the same in the former condition of liberty, is not unknown to your Lordships, espe∣cially

my Countryman, the Hungarian, how much blood they have shed for it, yea how many of them have suffered death so••it, We have sufficient examples thereof. What troubles and miseries O•• Nation▪ e∣specially sinc•• ••he yeare 1619. hath suffered in this case, hereof whole bundles of letters full of complaints are to be found with us. How often also▪ We have not only been admonished, but also quite forced, aswell by the Protestants, as by the Roman Catholicks, that Wee at last would a∣waken, and remedie the grievances, because otherwise, if the oppression of the priviledges and liberties should further encrease and enlarge it self, Our Children and Posterity would be forced to possesse a Kingdome hereafter, that had lost all Liberty. We have been desired also by some of the high Officers and Ministers of the Crown which have discovered unto Us, that the Clergie intends to make the Kingdom of Hungarie he∣reditarie Subject to the House of Austria, and withal strives to domineer both Spiritually and Temporally over the fellow Members of th••ir Reli∣gion, & to keep them under. It is not unknown to your Lordships, how many complaints there have bin made against those last Wils and Testa∣ment, that have bin forced from some, and thereby the lands and goods of the right natuall heir been alienated? The Clergy hath begun also to impropriate unto it selfe the chiefest Offices and places in the Frontier Townes of the Kingdome, and thus to pull fully out of the hands of the Temporall States and Peeres, that small Prerogative which they had left unto them: But what shall I say of the washing of the common Re∣venues of the whole Kingdom, and then the ruine following thereupon, which however must concern also the Clergie it selfe.

With what swiftnesse or tricks also the Jesuits are crept into the King∣dome to the utmost ruine of the libertie thereof, & of the Protestant Re∣ligion (which by all meanes and wayes is expressed) and with what un∣justnesse also in the Frontier Townes themselves, those, that have Iura Pa••r••natus in the Churches, are troubled: hereof your Lordships have sufficiently been enformed.

One of the Spirituall Prelates also, who is yet living with His Imperial Majesties knowledge, hath desired Us also by a confiding person, and in His Imperiall Majesties name, promised unto Us to turne over also all Our lands and goods situated in the Kingdome of Hungarie, to Our Heirs and Successors (which are as yet pawned to Us till they are

redeemed) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to shew unto Us yet greater and more graces and favour if We 〈◊〉〈◊〉 o••••y give Our assent unto it, that Hungarie might be an Hereditary Kingdome to the house of Austria, but whereas neither▪ Our Conscience nor also the zeale and love we beare to Our Hungarian na∣tion could give way to it, We returned unto him that answer, as hath been see m••g to an Hungarian Prince loving his native Countrey, and desining the liberty of his Countrey.

Concerning the authority of the Palatine, it was laid thus, that nothing but the meer name was left to that office; though He do sollicite some∣thing for the good of the Countrey, yet he labours in vaine, yea withall is prohibited to do it. How zealous the Protestant States and Peeres as well in particular as in generall have been in the Dyet, Anno 1638. to sollicite that their grievances might be redressed, but what effect after divers great charges and expences your Lordships have seen thereof, and enjoyed indeed, is sufficiently manifest unto every one.

The decree which His Imperiall Majesty caused to be imparted to the Protestant States and Peeres, is in Sp••ci•• in Our hands▪ but that not∣withstanding hereupon divers Churches and Ministers houses have bin taken away, and the Ministers driven out of them; to repeat all would require a great deale more of time.

If we now consider the violation of Our corporall liberties, We finde it, that the offices and places are conferred upon no Protestant fellow-Member of the Countrey, neither are they preserred to any higher digni∣ty, and if by chance one or other attains thereunto, yet he hath no ho∣nour, trust and credit with them. Moreover also though the Protestants have good right or claime to some requisition, yet they labour to hinder therein in one or other way: Yea it happened also, that one that preten∣ded a just cause to his Lands, notwithstanding by reason of a pretended contrad••ction, went in extream danger of his life about it.

When the 13 Counties in Generall in the yeare 1640. 641. 643. petitioned his Imperiall Majestie and the Lord Palatine for the redressing of their Grievances, what benefit & profit got your Lordships by it? yea what unkind entertainment your Lordships Deputies had for deman∣ding of their just cause, and with what sharp and bitter words they have beene sent away againe▪ your Lordships have still in fresh memory; all which, how justly We took it to heart, so as well Our conscience, as al∣so

our duty ••o the glory and serv••ce of God, and the love and zeale to the Libertie of Our native Country and Nation required Us, yea by some of the Protestant States and Peeres also, and not lesse by some of the Ro∣man Catholiques, We have beene exhorted upon Our soules salvation, and in a manner beene forced, that for defence of their Liberties We would rise.

Wherefore We could suffer this no longer, nor see the apparant ruine and perdition of Our native Country and the oppression of Our Nation, which before had tryed all meanes how these inconveniences by faire meanes might have beene remedied: What answer also have We lately returned to the Lord Keri Ianosh upon the request made unto Us in His Imperiall Majesties name: How earnestly We have entreat∣ed and desired, and what We have offered, your Lordships have suffici∣ently understood by the said answer, whereof a true Copie We have al∣ready here before sent to your Lordships.

We take God the Lord the sea••cher of all hearts to Our witnesse, and We dare write it also to your Lordships in very truth, that We have ta∣ken up Arms not for Our own profit, nor out of a desire of revenge, neither also for those manifold wrongs and injuries done unto Us not lastly out of an intention to reforme or persecute Religion much lesse to extirpate 〈…〉〈…〉: But that We onely intend to Erect againe the Statutes and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of ••he Kingdome, to Reestablish the same, and to proceed accor∣••i••g 〈…〉〈…〉 same, insomuch that every one without feare, trouble let or 〈…〉〈…〉▪ openly may professe and exercise that same wherein his 〈…〉〈…〉 appeased, and thereby also safely to enjoy the corporall Li∣b••r••••, be••a••••e ••o Domineere and Rule over Consciences doth not belong to 〈◊〉〈◊〉, bu•• ••o God alone.

But being our dear God hath already graciously turned off from us ma∣ny hinderances, w^ch herein principally have hitherto stood in our way, yea also drawne to Us the Outlandish hearts; We must needs conceive there∣by that i•• is Gods will ••••d providence, that to the service of his glory We shall proce•••• the Liberty of Our Native Country, whereof the glo∣ry ••ill be ••endered ••o God and not to men. And We beleeve therefore firmely▪ that his divine Majestie without all doubt will grace this Designe with happy desired issue, and ••••o••ne it with a joyfull end.

Wherefore We de••••e and exhort your Lordships friendly, that you

will be pleased in a zealous consideration, that for your Lordships good, and upon the desire and request of many amongst you We are risen from Our peaceable Government and wholly quiet Native Country, and ta∣ken up Armes, to afford your helping hands to the furtherance of this Worke, being in it selfe well pleasing to God Almighty, that will tend to the benefit and profit not onely of your Lordships, but also of the whole Country, and of all the grieved Inhabitants thereof. And withall in this case to shew their love and zeale aswell towards God, as towards the Protestant Religion and the Liberty of their Native Country; and as soone as you have received these letters, to send unto Us one of your good Friends and Fellow-Brethren, and thus to joyne with Us unani∣mously in the commendable furtherance and expedition of this worke.

We assure all persons, of what degree or qualitie soever they be, by Our true Christian Faith and Truth, that in no way We will disturbe or oppresse Religion, nor also that We have any intention to offend or trouble in the least way Our deare Native Country and Nation, and so all and every one of you in Generall either now or in suture time in any R••ght, Libertie, or Immunitie, but rather that your Lordships according to your pleasure may safely live, and yet further rejoyce in those preci∣ous Priviledges which have beene obtained long agoe with much blood.

No man shall also thinke, that if perhaps one or other hath done and shewed here before any wrong to Us, or committed any thing against Us whatsoever it bee, We would revenge Our selfe on him, and thus beare an ill will in Our heart for a future punishment; but rather that all and every the like wrong shall be buried in a perpetuall oblivion as if it had never happened or been done. We admonish therefore all and every one of what degree or qualitie soever he be, that no man retire out of the Country to another place, or forsake his Lands or Goods: for if by chance such (which We doe not hope) should be found, and We should bee forced to seize upon their Goods, they may attribute the fault and losse which thereby they may receive to no man else, but to themselves.

But in case your Lordships (against all hope and expectation) should offer to doe contrary to that what hath beene said above, We will pro∣test hereby before God and his holy Angels, that We are not the cause

of the ruine and destruction which thereby will fall upon them; for other∣wise We should be forced also to draw to Us so much the more stronger Ayde, and the greater number of Souldiers from Our High and Mighty Emperour, if your Lordships should oppose Us in the defence of Our Native Country, and not accommodate your selves unto Us, which Wee will not hope.

The God Almighty who rules and governes all the hearts, doe thus rule and direct the hearts and minds of your Lordships that you doe u∣nanimously every one, putting in the meane time out of his mind all o∣ther respects, afford unto Us your helping hands, for the obtaining of that wherein consists every ones true proper benefit and profit, that, after that We have finished this happy worke, and every one of Us attained to His intention, both you and your whole Posterity may safely and peaceably enjoy both spirituall and corporall liberty till unto the end of the World, Amen. Given at Our Castle Calow the 17^th of February, Anno 1644.

Georgius Racokzkio